Liberation Ale | Live Oak Brewing Company

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Draft. Pokal.

A: bright gold with an orange tint. Bright white head, moderate streaming carb.

S: some leafy, citrusy northwest hops.

T: lightly bitter, crisp, crackers malt arrival. Dark, leafy, floral, slightly dank in character. Mildly lingering bitterness.

M: lighter end of mid-weight, crisp, well carbonated.

O: a very crisp and traditional IPA. It's hot, and a little windy here in Austin, but

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3.54/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light amber, yellow-gold in color draft-poured into a frosty pint glass.

Subtle, flowery nose.

No heavy hop, citrus or bitterness; some of each though. It is not your traditional big american IPA, just a light, balanced, and easy to drink ale.

Medium to light feel with a decent finish.

I usually go for the big IPAs but this is a very safe and enjoyable selection.

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4.02/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3/28...on tap in Round Rock. Pours a clear orange yellow color. Sharp soapy pine nose bursts. Clean hoppy bitter taste. Lots of flavor. Well carbonated. Tasty IPA.

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3.49/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

16 oz. on tap at Ginny's Little Bighorn on Sun., 12/28/2014 (Chicken Shit Bingo), unknown brewing/packaging dates, poured into plastic cup, drank over 30-45 minutes

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3.39/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Beer has a cloudy dark gold pour with a small white head. Has a floral aroma with some hints of citrus. The medium body has a really well balanced grapefruit and pine hop flavor backed by just a bit of bready malt. Finishes with a mild piney bitterness.

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3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Seco2d in Austin May 30, but worried this could be an old keg since availability is Dec-Apr. Pours a cloudy orange gold with small head in a tulip glass. Big grapefruit aroma with malty bready backbone. Hops are still there so thats good. Pine prickle up front fades into sweet malt and a lasting bitter on the palate. Massive lacing and a big slick mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Pushes the malt bill of an impy even at only 6%. Pleasantly surprised here. Really been impressed with Live Oak while here in Austin.

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3.36/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Served on-draught into a pilsner glass at the Local Pub & Patio on Guadalupe St in Austin, Texas. Reviewed from notes. A pitcher cost $10.50

A: No bubble show forms as it's poured.

Pours a one finger wide head of white colour. Nice thickness and creaminess. Body colour is a clear copper of average vibrance. No yeast particles are visible.

Sm: Nectary hop character. Floral, with an edge of pine. Pale malts lend it a sweetness. No yeast or alcohol is detectable. A clean and inviting aroma of mild strength.

T: Has an aggressive hop bitterness with piney, floral, and some nectary hop character. Pale malts give it some sweetness. Nice little balance for what it is. Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour. I do like it, but the choices of hop don't seem ideal. Doesn't have a unique profile to make it stand out in comparison to other IPAs.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Nicely crisp. Slightly overcarbonated. Suits the flavour profile well in a general sense, but doesn't feel custom-tailored to it. Not oily, hars, gushed, or hot.

Dr: Drinkable and likable, but not exemplary for the style. It's no paragon. I might get it again, but Live Oak does better work. I'm glad I got to try it, but I wouldn't recommend it to friends or trade partners.

B-

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3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Enjoyed at The Draught House Pub in Austin this cask IPA is a near copper
amber color, clear, with a big "bubbled" head that's somewhat sparse but holds with
good lacing. The aroma offers a pointed grapefruit/lemon hop, a bit of fruit
nougat and apple vinegar caramel. Very nice. The taste buds receive a more
flowery delivery of citrus hops with a sweet grassy edge. Plenty of bitter hops
while securing a perfumey overtone, sort of lilac-lavender or some such thing.
It's good and brings a solid medium bodied, heavy-ish feel with the standard
low carbonation expected of most cask ales. Very enjoyable.

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3.87/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tried on tap at Crickets, 1 Mar 2012. Served in a shaker pint.

Medium sized beige head. Lightly carbonated. Clear dark orange in color. Aroma is light, malty and citric. Starts similarly, slightly citric with a sweet malty background. Medium creamy body, moderate ethanol. Well balanced throughout. Finish and aftertaste are moderately hoppy bittersweet.

Tasty and easy to drink but just a bit light on the hops.

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4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is a golden caramel color. Very grassy hop aroma, similar to the pils. Great grassy hop flavor and what a finish. Hoppy yet balanced, without being a tongue-scraper. Either dry hopped or just exceptionally well done I don’t know but its delicious. Well done, gang.

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4.07/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the Gingerman in Houston

Poured into a pint glass from the tap

A: pours a clear orange brown with 2 finger head low retention but moderate lacing.

S: pine and citrus and mango with floral notes. Very pleasant

T: hoppy bitterness accompanies the piney citrus but a floral flavor rounds out the sip

M: very smooth, no bitterness linger which is a nice change from other IPAs

O: very solid beer, only found on tap here so I will grab it whenever it's at my local pub

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3.74/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had one on tap at Flix Brewhouse in Round Rock.

Poured a cloudy, dull orange. a very subdued head...not much to look at really

Nice, fresh, pine needle scent...malt was buried a bit, as was the citrus.

Hmm...interesting, tasted the pine, malt took a back seat, got a kick of spice in it...kind of similar to a Celebration Ale in flavor. Good.

Nice carbonation, went down quite easily at 6.3...not quite as oily as i like my ipas, but good nonetheless.

I liked this, but it didn't stand out as a must have Texas IPA. I prefer 512.

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3.62/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap at The Crown & Anchor in Austin.

Appearance is copper with a decent sized white head. The smell has citrus hops, pine, fresh. Its` taste contains grapefruit, acidic, a bitter finish. MF is medium, fairly smooth. All in all, a pretty good IPA and if you are visiting Texas as I was, you should try it.

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3.97/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass at the Whip In.

Appearance: Golden yellow with a white head about an inch thick that resides into a thin lacing over the top of the beer.

Aroma: Mostly piney aromas with a slight citrus tinge, but pine dominates the nose.

Taste: Bitter up front and bitter on the finish but the middle is balanced with a nice malty backbone. A lot of west coast style IPA will lack malty flavors, but this one still provides this balance.

Mouthfeel: Light body with moderately high carbonation and a dry finish and lingering bitterness.

Overall: This is actually a really good IPA and I’m glad I got to try it since it was retired. I was probably my favorite central Texas IPA, but now I’m not sure due to all of the other challengers.

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3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at The Ginger Man in Austin.
Orange and a little hazy, topped by a whitish cap that hung around for a while. Spotty lacing. The hop aroma was assertive, a little abrasive with resin and citrus zest taking charge. There was a bit of malt sweetness, caramel, but this was in the background. Hops were also prominent in the flavour, grapefruit pith with some pine resin, mild sweetness and caramel, sturdy bitterness that wasn't overdone. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, off-dry, nice texture. A solid IPA with a slightly aggressive character, but enough balance to keep it drinkable.

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3.72/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer has a wonderful worn copper hue to its appearance, white creamy head that disipates over time. Great hop aroma, nice pine scent with a touch of citrus bite that graps your nose. Mild sweet scent from the malts but definatley a good hoppy beer. The taste is has a good blance of pine, citrusy hops with a taste of sweet, but light carmel maltiness to it. Exceptional mouthfeel, good carbination, does not fry you taste buds like some IPA's tend to do. Overall a great beer, goes well with a big juicy burger.

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3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ The Ginger Man in Austin

A - Pours hazy copper with about one finger of head, very nice retention and lacing.

S - Bright citrus hops and sweet caramel malts dominate. Pine, grapefruit, lemon and mango all come to mind.

T - Pine and citrus hops are big at first, but then the caramel sweetness really takes over this one. Grapefruit, biscuit, and other fruit notes are present.

M - Slightly thin and dry, but pretty well balanced.

D - This is indeed a good IPA, however it is a little on the sweet side for my liking.

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3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had a pint at Opal Divine's on 6th in Austin. This felt and drank more like a pale ale and had a much cleaner, smoother hop character. There was some balance from bready malt and then an almost juicy citrus character. Very drinkable but not too light, give it a try.

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3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes 09/30/10, on tap at Dancing Bear Pub.

A- Light copper, 1cm head, lots of lacing, really bubbly.

S- Hops, malt backbone, sweet and sticky.

T/M- Hoppy goodness, medium/heavy body, rich, sticky and a bit puckering.

D- Really great, a bit of caramel and toffee buried in there. I like it and I will be drinking it again.

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4.37/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the Flying Saucer in Fort Worth, TX.

Nice mellow American IPA. Not a hop monster but pleasantly just right.

Clear light amber liquird with smallish white head. Malty aroma.

Flavor is very well balanced. Reminds me more of a British style IPA or maybe Celis' Pale Bock. Fairly malty for an IPA with just the right amount of hops. Nice prickle on the tongue with a nice full velvety mouthfeel.

Quite drinkable. I Liked this one. Definitely more of a British style IPA.

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3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

another solid beer from this brewery. a tad light in color but maltiness is substantial. on tap it freshness is grassier and citrus fruit is drier. there is a steady balance of great hops in there but the finish was a bit too husky. instead of having a nice bitter zest of lemon and dry pepper, which it did have. there was also a lingering of some stale hay starchy finish. will have again none the less but not the best i had in town. still better than anything in dallas.

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3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Gold amber with a slight chill haze and small dense head. No lace. No predominant hop aroma, balance between the malt and hops. Very east coast flavor profile. Some sweetness up front and the majority of the bitterness on the back end. Medium mouthfeel.

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3.43/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear copper/orange color. A two finger, tightly packed, white head forms with good retention. Some patchy lace is left behind.
S: A big resiny, and piny hop aroma up front and center. Floral and citrus aromas come through. Some bread and biscuit malt for balance with some butter diacetyl as well.
T: The piny hops are still front and center. Some malt for balance with to much buttery diacetyl. A lingering bitterness as well.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. A little on the thin side. Not hard to drink at all. I finished my pint, and could have quaffed some more with ease.

This is a good IPA. A little to much diacetyl for my tastes, but still very enjoyable. Worth a try if you happen to come across it.

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3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at the Draught House in early May 2010.

The beer pours a yellow-orange color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the floral hops and I almost get some grape-like notes. The flavor is floral hops with some more grapes as well as some light citrus notes. Medium bitterness, medium carbonation and medium mouthfeel. As much as I wanted to like this beer, I just couldn't get past the big floral notes.

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4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft on-tap at the Gingerman, Dallas.
Bright, clear amber/orange color with a half inch of white foam. Foam settled quickled, left thin stringy lace. Smell has lots of citrusy hops, sharp yet fresh smelling. Flavors is blod, very hoppy, yet not out of balance. Enough malty sweetness to keep the hops in check. Flavorful, bitter, lots of citrus and pine. Mouthfeel is medium with a dry finish. A very good IPA.

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